Department for Transport

Railways

lord berkeley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what restrictions under current EU regulations there are on (1) passenger, and (2) freight train operators buying and selling train paths.

baroness sugg: Current EU regulations generally prohibit passenger and freight train operators from buying from and selling to each other train paths allocated by an infrastructure manager. The circumstances are set out in Regulation 19 of the Railways (Access, Management and Licensing of Railway Undertakings) Regulations 2016 (in Great Britain) and Regulation 19 of the Railways Infrastructure (Access, Management and Licensing of Railway Undertakings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (in Northern Ireland).

Road Works

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance they have issued to local authorities on reducing the impact of road works on individuals and businesses; and what funding they have made available to support that guidance.

baroness sugg: Under sections 59 and 60 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, highway authorities have a general duty to co-ordinate all street and road works on their networks and statutory undertakers have a general duty to use their best endeavours to co-operate with such actions. A Code of Practice entitled ‘Code of Practice for the Co-ordination of Street Works and Works for Road Purposes and Related Matters’ supports the delivery of these obligations. It can be found at:www.gov.uk/government/publications/street-works-co-ordination.The Traffic Management Act 2004 enables highway authorities to manage works proactively on the highway by operating a street works permit scheme, where a permit to undertake works needs to be approved prior to those works taking place. Over 65% of local highway authorities in England operate a permit scheme and the Government has requested that the remaining highway authorities introduce schemes.The Department is funding the £10m Street Manager project to improve the way that information on works is exchanged and how data is collected and shared. The project will enable better co-ordination and generate data which can be used to inform the public about planned and live works.

Midland Main Railway Line: Electrification

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to refreshthe business casefor electrification of the Midland Main Line now that projected costs are significantly lower.

baroness sugg: We have no plans to refresh the business case for electrification of the full Midland Main Line, as passenger benefits are being provided through other means, including a new fleet of bi-mode trains, allowing passengers to benefit from new trains sooner. Rapid delivery of value for money passenger benefits whilst minimising disruption will always be our priority, and we will continue to work closely with industry to prioritise schemes that deliver this.

Skipton-Colne Railway Line

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the feasibility study produced by Steer on (1) the reinstatement of the Colne–Skipton railway line, and (2) other work needed to link the Liverpool Docks to the Yorkshire Coast and Drax.

baroness sugg: Feasibility work is still in progress. We are now pressing on with further work to make sure that the proposed scheme can be made affordable, will attract sufficient traffic, and is part of the right long-term solution for all Trans-Pennine rail traffic. We will publish when these important issues have been explored and we understand the full picture.

Skipton-Colne Railway Line

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the scheme for a new freight railway route between Liverpool and Yorkshire, including the reinstatement of the railway between Colne and Skipton, has completed Stage 1 of the Rail Networks Enhancement Pipeline (RNEP) and is now in Stage 2; and if not, how the work announced by the Secretary of State for Transport on 25 January relates to the RNEP.

baroness sugg: The study into reinstating the Skipton-Colne rail line as part of a new freight railway route between Liverpool and Yorkshire was only the first step in establishing the feasibility of the project. We are now working to assess further the freight demand and commercial viability of the scheme. The scheme remains a candidate for subsequent progression to the next ‘develop’ stage of the Rail Enhancements Pipeline (RNEP) provided the business case is made.

Railways: Fares

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect the publication of the report by the Rail Delivery Group on the modernisation of rail fares, following the consultation that closed in autumn 2018.

baroness sugg: The Rail Delivery Group owns the report on the modernisation of rail fares, which was commissioned and developed independently of the Department. As such, they are responsible for the publication of the report.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Nuclear Power

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential contribution that can be made to civil nuclear power generation in the UK of the development of small modular nuclear reactors.

lord henley: Diversity in our energy mix provides vital insurance against future uncertainty and in ensuring security of supply can be maintained. As part of this, nuclear power as well as other low carbon power technologies have an important role to play in the UK’s energy future as we transition to a low carbon economy. We regularly compare the impact on electricity system costs of deploying technologies, as well as assessing their impact on energy security, decarbonisation and consumer bills. This includes looking at the benefits smaller reactors can provide to the UK energy mix. Future updates to the analysis will also include considering the findings of the Expert Finance Working Group which was set up to advise Government on how small reactor projects could raise private investment in the UK, and the outputs from the Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) R&D Programme of which all 8 participants have now submitted their feasibility studies.

Nuclear Power

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have received on the size, in terms of output, of proposals to design and build small modular nuclear reactors in the UK.

lord henley: Since 2015, the Government has engaged with over 30 small and advanced reactor vendors through initiatives such as the SMR Competition (March 2016 – December 2017) and the ongoing Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) Feasibility and Development Project. The sizes of individual reactor modules range from 4MWe – 465 MWe. Many vendors are designing reactors with the intention of multiple modules being deployed together, scaling up the generation output of an installation. This includes proposals for modular reactor power stations with the potential outputs around 1GWe. The reactor technology types range from conventional water-cooled reactors, to 4th generation reactors using novel fuels and coolants, as well as fusion reactor concepts.

Nuclear Power

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they are considering for the provision of power generation in the light of recent discussions on nuclear power generation.

lord henley: This Government continues to believe that nuclear has an important role to play in the UK’s future energy mix, but it must represent good value for taxpayers and consumers. The Wylfa and Moorside projects were not due to be operational until the late 2020s, and there are a range of options for replacing this capacity over that time-frame. Both sites remain potential sites for nuclear new build under the current National Policy Statement, and myself and my officials remain willing to meet with any viable proponents wishing to develop these sites. My rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State will set out a new approach to financing new nuclear in the planned energy White Paper in due course.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

China: Ethnic Groups

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the account of Gulbahar Jelilova, a Muslim Uyghur woman, who was reportedly subject to degrading treatment at a re-education camp in China; and what assessment they have made of the accuracy of estimates cited by the United Nations that up to 1 million ethnic Muslim-minority Uyghurs may be held involuntarily in extralegal detention in Xinjiang.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports of the detention of Gulbahar Jelil (Jelilova) in Xinjiang.We have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang and the Chinese Government’s deepening crackdown; including credible reports that over one million Uyghurs have been held in re-education camps, and widespread surveillance and restrictions targeted at ethnic minorities.During China’s Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council on 6 November, the UK made a statement which described our concern about the treatment of ethnic minorities in China, including Uyghurs. We issued a specific recommendation, calling on China to implement the recommendations by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on Xinjiang, and to allow the UN to monitor the implementation.Mr Field raised our concerns about Xinjiang with Vice Minister Guo Yezhou during his visit to China on 22 July 2018. The Foreign Secretary also raised our concerns about the region with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his visit to China on 30 July 2018.

Abdul Raouf Salha

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have discussed, or will discuss, with the government of Israel the shooting by the Israeli Defence Force of Abdul Raouf Salha in Gaza on 4 January, and his subsequent death.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Whilst we have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli authorities, we regularly raise concerns about the situation in Gaza. We have also raised concerns about Israel's use of live ammunition, and have been clear that Palestinians have the right to peaceful protest. We have also been clear that Israel has the right to protect itself, as it is plain that Hamas and its operatives have exploited protests for their own benefit.

Turkey: Political Prisoners

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the call by 50 Nobel prize winners for the ending of the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan and other political prisoners in Turkey; and whether they plan to raise the matter in the Council of Europe and with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are aware of the statement endorsed by 50 Nobel Prize winners in regard to the conditions of Abdullah Öcalan. Embassy officials in Ankara discussed the issue of Abdullah Öcalan's prison conditions with Turkish officials in mid-January. We regularly discuss such issues with European and other like-minded partners.

Israel: Gaza

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made, or will make, to the government of Israel about the withholding of international donations intended for Gaza.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We regularly urge Israel to go further in easing access restrictions on Gaza. The UK supports the UN Access Coordination Unit, which works with the Israeli Government, the Palestinian Authority and aid agencies to facilitate the transfer of humanitarian goods including some medical equipment and supplies, into Gaza. We are also calling on all donors to fulfil their financial pledges to aid the reconstruction efforts in Gaza without delay.

Gaza: Demonstrations

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Palestinians who are (1) under, and (2) over 18 have been (a) killed, and (b) injured in the 44 weeks of Friday protests; and how many Israelis have been (i) killed, and (ii) injured in the same period.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Whilst we do not hold this specific information, the recent deaths on both sides of the conflict reflect the need for progress to end the cycle of violence.

Israeli Settlements: Palestinians

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the manslaughtercharge given to a teenager for the death of Aisha al-Rabi in the West Bank, whether they have held discussions with the government of Israel about the equal treatment in law of Israeli settlers and Palestinians who have committed acts of violence.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Whilst we have not raised this issue specifically with the Israeli Government, we condemn all violence by settlers against Palestinians and urge the Israeli authorities to thoroughly investigate every instance and bring those responsible to justice. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation.

Italy: Asylum

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actions, if any, they are taking to bring Brendan Woodhouse, his crew, and the 47 rescuees on their vessel who are currently detained off the coast of Italy to the UK.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Sea-Watch 3 disembarked the 47 rescued migrants on board at Catania (Sicily) on 31 January.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the (1) government of Israel and (2) FIFA following the hospitalisation of five members of a Palestinian football team after Israeli forces fired tear gas into the Al Khader Stadium in Bethlehem.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We have not raised this specific issue with the Israeli Government or FIFA. In our dialogue with the Israeli authorities we have recognised their legitimate need to deploy security measures to address violence. We encourage them to deploy these in a way which minimises tension and use appropriate force. In instances where there have been accusations of excessive use of force, we have advocated swift, transparent investigations.

Israel: West Bank

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel about the number of road closures in the West Bank.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement within the West Bank, including to and from East Jerusalem. Through our Embassy in Tel Aviv we have lobbied the authorities on the issue of movement and access. We continue to work closely with the Quartet and EU partners to call on Israel to ease restrictions on access.

Israel: West Bank

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to protect Palestinian children in the West Bank from (1) unlawful detention including being detained with no access to legal representation and contact with their parents, and (2) violence and abuse when detained.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to have strong concerns about reports of ill-treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention. We remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding children in detention in Israel. We advocate for the mandatory use of audio-visual recording of interrogations, a reduction in the use of single hand ties, alternatives to night arrests and for the Israeli authorities to inform more consistently detained children of their legal rights. I raised the issue of children in detention with Israeli Justice Minister Shaked during my visit to Israel on 11 April 2018. We continue to fund projects providing legal aid to minors and capacity building to local lawyers.

Ryan Cornelius

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 12 December 2018 (HL11891), what response they received from the government of the United Arab Emirates about Ryan Cornelius’ continued detention.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​As I said in my written answer HL12396 on 4 January, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has sought clarity from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the United Arab Emirates regarding the terms of Mr Ryan Cornelius' continued detention on a number of occasions. We did so again on 24 January. Any response received will be shared with Mr Cornelius' family.

Ryan Cornelius

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 12 December 2018 (HL11891), whether they have raised with the government of the United Arab Emirates (1) the retrospective application of Law 37 to Ryan Cornelius, (2) the principle of double jeopardy following his additional sentence of 20 years in prison, and (3) whether his imprisonment is in breach of the law of the UAE; and if not, why not.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office cannot interfere in another country's processes and must respect their systems, just as we expect them to respect the UK's laws and legal processes.

Giulio Regeni

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent representations they have made to the government of Egypt about its co-operation with the government of Italy's investigation into Giulio Regeni's murder.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We were appalled by the murder of Giulio Regeni in Cairo and we continue to monitor the investigation into his death. As Mr Regeni was an Italian citizen, the Italian Government is taking the lead role on his case. We have consistently raised our concerns, stressing the need for a full and impartial investigation into the circumstances of Mr Regeni's murder with the Egyptian authorities at both Ministerial and official levels. We continue to offer our full support to Italy and urge the Egyptian Government to cooperate fully with the Italian investigators in order to bring Mr Regeni's killers to justice as soon as possible.

Russia: Cross Border Cooperation

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are currently collaborating with the government of Russia on any projects or programmes; and if so, what are those projects or programmes.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The only joint project between the two governments is the UK-Russia Year of Music, which will be delivered by the British Council. The Russian Government is not a partner in any other project activity.

Sheikh Ali Salman

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to advocate for the release of Bahraini political opposition leader, Sheikh Ali Salman, following the concern expressed in a statement by the Minister of State for the Middle East on 4 November 2018 and the Bahraini Court of Cassation’s decision to uphold his life sentence on 28 January.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The noble Lord has mentioned the Minister for the Middle East’s statement on 4 November expressing concerns on the latest sentence. The Minister for the Middle East also raised this with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to London on 5 November. We continue to raise this case at senior levels with the Government of Bahrain.

Department of Health and Social Care

Pregnancy: Mental Illness

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether perinatal mental illnesses are being adequately identified and treated; whether they have made any assessment of the links between (1) perinatal mental illness and emotional and behavioural problems in children, and (2) perinatal mental illness and intergenerational cycles of poverty; whether, as a result of any such assessment, they intend to take steps to tackle any under-identification of perinatal mental illness; and if so, what steps.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Perinatal mental illness covers a wide range of conditions. Although the Government has made no formal assessment of the links between perinatal mental health and intergenerational poverty, we stated in the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health that if left untreated, it can have significant and long-lasting effects not only on the woman but also on the emotional, social and cognitive development of children.The Government is committed to improving both the detection and treatment of perinatal mental illness. General practitioners and primary care teams have a crucial role in supporting the identification and treatment of perinatal mental illness, including post-natal depression, and are part of an integrated pathway of services. Support includes monitoring early onset conditions, providing pre-conception counselling and referring women to specialist mental health services, including Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services and specialist perinatal community teams, if necessary.To date, NHS England and Health Education England has also funded training for over 3,000 staff and professionals in mental health, maternity services and primary care to better identify and support women with perinatal mental health needs.We are investing £365 million from 2015/16 to 2020/21 in perinatal mental health services to ensure that by 2020/21 at least 30,000 more women each year are able to access evidence-based specialist mental health care during the perinatal period. This investment is designed to improve access to specialist perinatal mental health services across England, resulting in better outcomes for women and their families.In addition, the NHS Long Term Plan, includes a commitment for a further 24,000 women to be able to access specialist perinatal mental health care by 2023/24, building on the additional 30,000 women who will access these services each year by 2020/21 under pre-existing plans. Specialist care will also be available from preconception to 24 months after birth, which will provide an extra year of support.

Surgery: Allergies

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of independent healthcare providers who have provided data to the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ national audit project on life-threatening allergic reaction during surgery; and what steps, if any, they intend to take to encourage such providers to provide such data.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: We have made no assessment of the number of independent healthcare providers who have provided data to the Royal College of Anaesthetists. We encourage transparency and data sharing in the interest of improving care.Private providers providing National Health Service funded services should meet all of the requirements in respect of information governance that we place on NHS organisations and the quality of services would be monitored through the commissioning contract.The Paterson Inquiry, which is due to report its conclusions and recommendations in summer 2019, will consider how and when information is shared between the NHS and the independent sector.

Hospitals: Private Sector

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that patients treated in independent healthcare providers’ hospitals will receive a uniform standard of care; and what steps they will take to ensure that any recommendations on patient care from medical royal colleges are adopted by such providers.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England, and is responsible for ensuring that all health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high quality care; and encouraging services to improve. The CQC uses the same assessment framework of key lines of enquiry and ratings characteristics for its inspections and ratings across all healthcare service types, including both National Health Service and independent sector providers.Key standards and recommendations on patient care made by medical Royal Colleges are reflected in the CQC’s inspection frameworks and guidance for specific healthcare services, and the CQC reports on where providers are following that guidance.

Liothyronine

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, or intend to have, with NHS England on ensuring Liothyronine (T3) is prescribed in accordance with NICE guidelines.

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to conduct an assessment of the impact of the withdrawal of Liothyronine (T3) on patients as a result of Clinical Commissioning Groups misinterpreting or failing to follow NHS England's guidance on the prescription of that drug.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Department has had no such discussions with NHS England on ensuring liothyronine is prescribed in accordance with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, nor does the Department intend to conduct such an assessment.The Regional Medicines Optimising Committee published its latest guidance on the prescribing of liothyronine in November and we can confirm NHS England is working closely with clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) on the prescribing of liothyronine to support them with the implementation of guidance for CCGs on items which should not be routinely prescribed in primary care.CCGs are expected to have regard to national guidance, and are responsible for developing their own local approaches to its implementation taking into account local priorities and needs.

Liothyronine

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that Liothyronine (T3) is purchased at a cost in line with other EU countries.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: All United Kingdom marketing authorisation holders of liothyronine are obliged to ensure that the product complies with the minimum standard as specified in the updated British Pharmacopoeia monograph for liothyronine tablets. Liothyronine on the market in other European Union Member States may not comply with the updated British Pharmacopoeia monograph and therefore would not be considered therapeutically equivalent.Liothyronine is an unbranded generic medicine. The Department encourages competition between suppliers of unbranded generic medicines to keep prices down. This generally works well and has led to some of the lowest prices in Europe. Concerns about anti-competitive behaviour are a matter for the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate.Liothyronine, marketed by Advanz Pharma (formerly Concordia), is currently the subject of an investigation by the CMA. The CMA has provisionally found that the company abused its dominant position to overcharge the National Health Service by millions of pounds for liothyronine tablets. A provisional decision does not necessarily lead to an infringement decision. Where companies have breached competition law, the Department will seek damages and invest that money back into the NHS.

Social Services

lord lipsey: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish their Green Paper on social care.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Social Care Green Paper remains a priority for this Government and the Department. We will be publishing the Green Paper at the earliest opportunity.

Genetics

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government who authorised NHS England's scheme to allow people to pay to have their genes sequenced on the condition that they share their data.

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the ethics implications of NHS England's scheme to allow people to pay to have their genes sequenced on the condition that they share their data.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The second Life Sciences Sector Deal, published by the Government in December 2018, announced that Genomics England will undertake development work on a new service to enable volunteers to pay for a personalised report on their unique genetic makeup.Genomics England are in the early stages of developing the scheme, working with patient groups and the public as well as key partners, including the National Health Service.It will be developed in line with the founding principles of the NHS and established to the highest ethical standards.

Contraceptives

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to monitor and record contraceptive use in the UKonce the NHS goes paperless in 2020; and if so, whether they will record types of contraceptives being used according to age group.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Contraception supplied in sexual and reproductive health services in England is monitored and recorded nationally through the Sexual and Reproductive Health Activity Data Set, which includes data on age, consultation medium and contraception main method. The data is collected from all sexual and reproductive health services, including some general practitioner (GP) services, and will continue after the National Health Service goes paperless. Data by age is not collected where contraception is supplied by general practice under the GP Contract.

Childbirth: Incontinence

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cases of urinary or faecal incontinence as a result of childbirth were recorded in each of the last ten years.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The data requested are not held centrally.

Palliative Care

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much the NHS in England has spent in real terms on palliative care in each of the last ten years for which information is available.

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the NHS Constitution entitles people in England to receive palliative care under the NHS; and who is responsible for ensuring information is available to patients receiving palliative care.

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many beds are available in (1) NHS hospitals, and (2) voluntary sector hospicesin England at the latest date for which information is available.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Much of the palliative care patients receive will be provided either in outpatient or community settings, by nurses, community teams or general practitioners as part of general NHS services provision, rather than as an identified palliative care service. In such services, data are either not available or do not identify palliative treatment. In addition, social and voluntary sector organisations can provide additional support to patients at the end of life. Therefore, figures for the total cost of palliative care is not available. Furthermore, the commissioning and configuration of National Health Service palliative care services are a local matter and the Department holds no data on the number of beds available either in hospitals or in hospices.NHS services include the provision of NHS palliative care. England’s NHS Constitution states all patients have the right to be involved in planning and making decisions about their health including end of life care and to be given information and support to enable them to do this.

Diabetes: Drugs

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what commitments they will make to ensure that the UK's 3.7 million diagnosed diabetics will have access to sufficient stockpiles of medication to avoid potential deaths from diabetic ketoacidosis in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will ensure the supply of radiopharmaceuticals in the event of a no-deal Brexit; and what steps they will take to prevent delays in the treatment of patients with serious conditions.

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that every prescription for medication can still be redeemed in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Department understand that diabetes medicines and medical radiopharmaceuticals are vitally important to many people in this country. Our ‘no deal’ contingency plans include mitigations for medicines that come to the United Kingdom from or via the European Union or European Economic Area (EEA), including precautionary stockpiling by suppliers and securing alternative shipping routes to ensure the flow of medicines, to ensure that the supply of diabetes medicines, medical radioisotopes and other essential medicines to patients is not disrupted.In August 2018, the Department wrote to all pharmaceutical companies that supply prescription-only and pharmacy medicines to the UK that come from, or via, the EU/EEA asking them to ensure a minimum of six weeks’ additional supply in the UK, over and above existing business-as-usual buffer stocks, by 29 March 2019.We recognise that certain medicines with short shelf lives, including medical radiopharmaceuticals or medical radioisotopes, cannot be reasonably stockpiled. Where these medicines are imported from the EU or EEA, we have asked that suppliers ensure that they have plans in place in advance plans to air freight these medicines from the EU in the event of a ‘no deal’ exit. While the stockpiling medicines and alternative air freight remains a critical part of our ‘no deal’ medicine supply contingency plans, we are also supplementing these with additional actions.We are working towards ensuring we have sufficient roll-on, roll-off freight capacity on alternative routes to enable these vital products to continue to move freely in to the UK. Medicines and medical products, including diabetes medicines, will be prioritised on these routes to ensure that the flow of all these products will continue unimpeded after 29 March 2019.Throughout enacting our plans, we have received very good engagement from industry who share our aims of ensuring that the continuity of supply of medicines and medical products for patients is maintained and able to cope with any potential delays at the border that may arise in the short term in the event of a ‘no deal’ EU exit.

Department for International Development

Jerusalem: Schools

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they taking, if any, in relation to the cancellation of permits for the operation of UNWRA-run schools for Palestinians in East Jerusalem and their replacement by schools operated by the municipality of Jerusalem.

lord bates: UK Officials have contacted UNRWA following media reports surrounding the future of UNRWA schools in East Jerusalem. UNRWA stated that they have not received any official indication that there will be any change to their operation in East Jerusalem.

Jerusalem: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to protect the rights of those Palestinians in East Jerusalem whose refugee status has been threatened by the withdrawal of funding to UNRWA by the government of the United States.

lord bates: We are concerned about the impact on UNRWA’s activities whenever unexpected reductions occur. Last year the UK led international efforts to help ensure UNRWA’s essential services were maintained, by almost doubling our original core support of £33.5 million to £65.5 million in total, including £5 million for Gaza, and lobbying other donors to step up to ensure the funding burden is shared more evenly across the international community. Both the UK and UNRWA recognise the need for UNRWA to reform to ensure its sustainability and ability to provide essential services to refugees. UNRWA has undertaken significant cost-cutting measures to respond to budget cuts and growing need. We welcome UNRWA’s efforts to broaden its donor base and are encouraging partners to step up with more funding and more predictable disbursements. The UK has a multi-year commitment to support UNRWA and we remain firmly committed to supporting UNRWA and Palestinian refugees.

Gaza: Hospitals

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that hospitals in Gaza have been closed due to power shortages; and what steps they are taking to ensure that hospitals are able to function.

lord bates: The UK continually monitors the humanitarian situation in Gaza and is ready to respond to spikes in humanitarian need. DFID is aware that hospitals in Gaza continue to face power shortages, although the most recent WHO report suggests that hospitals remain open for now. To help ensure hospitals in Gaza can continue to provide essential services we provided £1.5 million for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) OPTs Appeal in 2018. This funding has helped treat patients in 11 hospitals which are under extreme pressure in Gaza by restocking vital medical supplies including surgical equipment, bandages and medicines, and helping provide physical rehabilitation services for around 4,000 people. We will keep our response under review.

Palestinians: Water

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to provide financial support to the water and sewage projects in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that were previously funded by the government of the United States; and if so, what will be the nature of any such support.

lord bates: DFID is concerned about the withdrawal of US aid funding from the water sector in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The shortage of clean water and adequate waste water treatment facilities across the OPTs drives down living standards, poses health and environmental risks, and is a significant barrier to economic growth. However, the UK is not in a position to redirect funding to projects formerly funded by the US. The UK has already committed to supporting the Palestinian water sector, through DFID’s Supporting Economic Empowerment and Development in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (SEED OPTs) programme. UK aid will help reform the water sector and co-finance critical water infrastructure to increase the supply and access of clean water across the OPTs. This includes upgrading Gaza’s water carrier network to support the planned Gaza Central Desalination Plant which, once operational, will produce 55 billion litres of safe drinking water annually, benefiting all Gazans.

Overseas Aid

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theycollect data on Department for International Development allocations by religion; if not, why not; and if not, whether they have considered the consistency of not collecting such data with the obligations under the Equalities Act2010 in regard to religion.

lord bates: DFID does not currently identify or record beneficiaries by their religion; however, our Data Disaggregation Action Plan has set out our increased ambitions to increase the level of disaggregated data we collect, report and use, and to work with the United Nations and others to improve data collection and disaggregation at a global level. Our short-term focus remains on four disaggregates (sex, age, disability status and geography) in the first instance to help us reorient our approach and raise our ambition whilst we work with others in the international system to find and develop tools, methods and guidance on further disaggregation variables. The UK is firmly committed to ensuring aid reaches the most vulnerable, including those from religious minorities, where they constitute part of that category. In line with the Equality Act 2010, DFID operates by the humanitarian principles of neutrality and impartiality which aim to ensure that no one is excluded or discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, or religion; and to also ensure that the specific risks facing religious minorities are addressed and that assistance reaches those who need it most.

Department for Education

Universities: Admissions

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unconditional offers have been made by universities to school and college leavers in each year since 2010; and in each of those years, what percentage of total offers were unconditional.

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government which universities allocated places to applicants on an unconditional basis in each year since 2010; and for each of those universities, what percentage of total offers were unconditional in each of those years.

viscount younger of leckie: Applicants to full-time undergraduate degrees apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). UCAS have published data on the number of unconditional offers and the proportion of offers made that were unconditional since 2010. The data covers offers made to 18 year olds from England, Northern Ireland and Wales.The table shows the number of unconditional offers made and the proportion of offers made that were unconditional to 18 year old applicants from England, Northern Ireland, and Wales. YearNumber of unconditional offersProportion of offers made that were unconditional20105,1050.6%20113,3550.4%20122,6050.3%20132,9850.4%201412,1151.4%201523,4102.5%201636,8253.9%201751,6155.3%201867,9157.1%  Source: UCAS End of Cycle reports 2017 and 2018:https://www.ucas.com/file/196151/download?token=jzRAy4kS.https://www.ucas.com/file/140406/download?token=pfzLAKRe.  NotesUCAS defines an unconditional offer as a provider decision to grant a place to an applicant that is not subject to the applicant satisfying academic and/or other criteria.A conditional unconditional offer is an offer made by a provider which was originally conditional, but becomes unconditional if the applicant selects that offer as their firm (first) choice. By definition, conditional unconditional offers that are selected as a firm choice by the applicant become unconditional and are also included in the unconditional offers group.Offer with an unconditional component are defined as an offers showing as having an element of unconditional offer-making, that is, unconditional offers plus conditional unconditional offers that have not been selected as firm (and hence remain conditional unconditional).Figures provided in the table are based on the offer status at the 30 June application deadline.Data on conditional unconditional offers, and offers that had an unconditional component have not been included in the table due to data not being published prior to 2013.  Information regarding which universities allocated places to applicants on an unconditional basis and for each of those universities, what percentage of total offers were unconditional in each of those years is not held centrally.However, on 31 January UCAS published data on unconditional offers by each provider for the first time as part of their 2018 End of Cycle data releases. For each provider, UCAS have published data on the number and proportion of offers that were unconditional, conditional unconditional, and offers that had an unconditional component since 2013. Further information can be found at: https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-reports/2018-ucas-undergraduate-unconditional-offer-making-provider-reports – then select ‘Individual 2018 provider level unconditional offer-making CSVs’. The government are concerned by the increase in unconditional offers, and have asked the higher education (HE) regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), to monitor and review how they are being used by HE providers. Where institutions cannot justify the rising numbers being offered we have made clear to the OfS that they should use the full range of powers at their disposal to take action.

Overseas Students: EU Nationals

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that nationals of other EU member states who no longer reside or work in the UK make their student loan repayments.

viscount younger of leckie: ​The terms and conditions of repayment of student loans are set out by the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009 (as amended). These regulations make provision for repayment for borrowers resident both in the UK and overseas, including the EU. The Department for Education continues to work closely with the Student Loans Company (SLC) to ensure a robust overseas repayment strategy. The SLC has arrangements in place to collect repayments from borrowers who move away from the UK and establishes a repayment schedule based on the borrower’s income and provides information on the methods of repayment available. If borrowers based overseas fail to remain in contact with the SLC, the SLC will set up a fixed repayment schedule and place those borrowers in arrears. Borrowers with post-2012 loans who have not remained in contact with the SLC are charged the maximum interest rate of RPI+3% until they get back in touch. Further action, including legal action, can then be taken to secure recovery.

Overseas Students: EU Nationals

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many nationals of other EU member states with student loans outstanding are currently uncontactable; and what estimate they have made of the amount of outstanding loans owed by such people.

viscount younger of leckie: The Student Loans Company (SLC) administers student loans for each of the UK government administrations. The information is not held in the requested format, however the SLC publishes data on the number of EU nationals who have been placed in arrears, as they have not provided details of their income. Around 9,600 EU borrowers had not provided details of their income and had been placed in arrears as at 31 April 2018. Statistics covering loan repayments are published annually by the SLC for each UK government administration as part of the ‘Debt and repayment statistics for England 2017-18’. More detailed information on the repayment statuses of home and EU domiciled borrowers, who are liable for repayment, can be found in tables 3A and 3B of the statistics publication (attached). 



hl13202_Debt_and_repayment_statistics
(Excel SpreadSheet, 342.19 KB)

Universities: Ethnic Groups

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what role the Office for Students will play in monitoring the performance of universities in reducing ethnic inequalities in university academic staffing; and what plans they have to require universities to address such inequalities.

viscount younger of leckie: The government and the Office for Students (OfS) are focused on addressing inequalities in higher education. Government consulted on the publication of data on senior staff remuneration, including in relation to gender and ethnicity. The OfS retains the power to require the disclosure of such information through its accounts direction.Higher education institutions are independent and responsible for decisions about who they employ. Universities, like every employer, must ensure they meet their obligations under the Equality Act 2010. On February 1, the government announced measures to tackle ethnic disparities in higher education including encouraging higher education providers to make use of tools such as the Race at Work Charter and the Race Equality Charter to drive forward a step-change in the recruitment and progression of ethnic minority employees.The government has also consulted on ethnicity pay reporting in order to inform future government policy.

Universities: Ethnic Groups

lord boateng: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the low numbers of university academics and staff from black and minority ethnic backgrounds on the attainment of black and minority ethnic students.

viscount younger of leckie: Higher education institutions are independent and responsible for decisions about who they employ. Universities, like every employer, must ensure they meet their obligations under the Equality Act 2010. Through the Race Disparity Audit, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister set out her expectation that more must be done to create a workforce that is representative of British society today. On 1 February, the government launched measures to drive change in tackling inequalities between ethnic groups in higher education.Equality and Diversity in higher education is a priority for government and the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS will use Access and Participation Plans to hold higher education providers to account for disparities in access and attainment of black and ethnic minority students.This year, for the first time, registered higher education providers will be required to publish data on measures including attainment broken down by ethnicity, gender and socio-economic groups. This will increase transparency on attainment gaps for ethnic minority students, shining a light on those providers that are not performing well.

Ministry of Justice

Magistrates' Courts: Closures

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their definition of "reasonable access to alternative courts" in relation to the closure of magistrates' courts.

lord keen of elie: HM Courts & Tribunals Service considers several factors when assessing the impact of court closures on access to justice, as set out in our estates principles. These include careful consideration of journey times to alternative courts, the challenges of rural access and the needs of vulnerable users. The consultation ‘Fit for the future: transforming the court and tribunal estate’ published in January 2018 set out proposals to update our estates principles to take account of the modernisation of our courts and tribunals. We have carefully considered all responses to the consultation and we will publish our consultation response in due course.

Magistrates' Courts: Closures

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the current criteria for the closure of magistrates' courts.

lord keen of elie: All assessments regarding closures of courts are made against the HMCTS estates principles.These were included in the Fit for the future: transforming the Court and Tribunal Estate consultation and can be accessed at: https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/transforming-court-tribunal-estate/ The closure of any court is not taken lightly and only happens following full public consultation and when communities have reasonable access to alternative courts.

Magistrates' Courts: Closures

lord beecham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many proposed closures of magistrates' courts have been withdrawn since 2010 following consultation.

lord keen of elie: Since 2010, one magistrates’ court closure consultation – Cambridge Magistrates’ Court (published January 2018) - has been withdrawn. Following the receipt of new information regarding the likely proceed of disposal and consideration of the cost of re-provision, the Lord Chancellor concluded that the value for money case had not been made.

Young Offenders: Females

lord bradley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many girls under 18 are currently in custody in (1) secure training centres, and (2) secure children's homes in England.

lord keen of elie: There are a total of 22 girls under the age of 18 across the youth estate in England. Fourteen of these children are held in Secure Training Centres and the remaining eight are residing at Secure Children’s Homes. These figures are from the most recent published Youth Custody Report for November 2018, published on gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/youth-custody-data

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Social Rented Housing

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made ofthe actions of the devolved institutions in the UK in relation to social housing; and what lessons, if any, they have learnt as a result.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: My officials hold ongoing constructive discussions with officials from the devolved institutions in relation to social housing and will continue to build on these relationships. This includes discussions held following the publication of the Social Housing Green Paper.

Social Rented Housing

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment theyhave made of the report by Shelter Building for our Future: A vision for social housing, published in January.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: We have noted the report by Shelter’s Commissioners and the contribution this has made to the wider conversation around social housing. Our Social Housing Green Paper set out our aims to rebalance the relationship between residents and landlords, tackle stigma and ensure social housing can be both a safety net and a springboard to home ownership.We are committed to increasing the supply of social housing and have invested over £9 billion into our Affordable Homes Programme to deliver 250,000 affordable homes by 2022, including at least 12,500 for social rent outside of London. A further £2 billion of long term funding has already been committed beyond that as part of a ten year home building programme through to 2028. We’re also giving councils extra freedom to build the social homes their communities need and expect. Housing Associations and Local Authorities now need to accelerate delivery and build more affordable homes.The consultation on our Green Paper, ‘A new deal for social housing’, closed on 6 November 2018. We are currently analysing responses, along with feedback from the engagement events which we held with social housing residents.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people made homeless after the fire at Grenfell Tower are still living (1) in hotels, (2) in other forms of temporary accommodation, and (3) with relatives.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: As of 31 January 2019, the latest figures from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea show that a total of 8 households from Grenfell Tower and Walk remain in emergency accommodation out of the 202 households that required rehousingThe 8 households currently in emergency accommodation include: 3 households living in hotels, 4 households living in serviced apartments and 1 household who is living with friends and family As of 31 January 2019, a total of 17 households from Grenfell Tower and Walk are currently in high - quality temporary accommodation; with a total of 177 households from Grenfell Tower and Walk having now moved into permanent accommodation We expect the Council to do whatever is necessary to ensure households can move into permanent homes as swiftly as possible, but to do so sensitively and taking into account individual needs, and are continuing to work closely with the Council to ensure this occurs without unnecessary delay.

Local Government Finance

lord ouseley: To ask Her Majesty's Government by how much local government funding has been reduced since 2010; and what assessment they have made of the effect on vulnerable communities of such reductions.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Since 2010 there have been changes to the financing and functions of local government, and therefore spending power, the measure of funding available to local authorities, is not directly comparable over this period.Prior to 2013-14, Formula Grant was non-ring fenced money for local government services. It was funded by central government grant and redistributed business rates. From 2013-14, Settlement Funding Assessment became the way central government provided local authorities with non-ring fenced funding for local government services.Councils will have had access to over £200 billion over the five-year period 2015-16 to 2019-20, and funding for local government will increase in real-terms next year.As democratically elected organisations, local authorities are independent of central government and are responsible for managing their budgets in line with local priorities. However, the Government expects local authorities to meet the challenge of making savings, while continuing to provide excellent services to local communities. It is for local authorities to conduct their own impact assessments of local decisions on residents, including vulnerable adults and children.

Display Energy Certificates

lord stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the annual returns of Local Weights and Measures Authorities enforcement action on Display Energy Certificates for each year for which figures are available as set out in the guidance by the then Department for Communities and Local Government, Improving the energy efficiency of our buildings, published in March 2016.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Department does not currently have plans to publish this information. However, Local Authority Weights and Measures Authorities are responsible for this information and may publish it.

Display Energy Certificates

lord stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the current levels of compliance with the statutoryDisplay Energy Certificate regime are sufficient to meet the legal requirements of the EU's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive as transposed into UK legislation.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Data on Display Energy Certificates (DECs) for buildings occupied by public authorities over a certain size threshold and frequently visited by the public can be found at (attached): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-energy-performance-of-buildings-certificates (Table DEC1)The Government does not routinely hold or collect data to identify public buildings that are frequently visited by the public. Therefore, we have not made an assessment of the current levels of compliance.



Table DEC1
(Excel SpreadSheet, 4.23 MB)

High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention

lord stunell: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to accelerating the completion of all necessary fire safety remedial work to high rise residential buildings by establishing a scheme for payment from central funds of costs incurred by local authorities who carry out such work on privately owned high rise buildings, pending reimbursement of costs by the building owner.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Where, as part of the enforcement action, local authorities take emergency action themselves to remediate high rise private sector residential building with unsafe ACM cladding then the Housing Act 2004 allows local authorities to recover reasonably incurred expenses, with interest. The Government is committed to supporting local authorities to ensure that such private-sector buildings are remediated, including financial support to take emergency remedial action if that is necessary. Local authorities finding themselves in this position should approach my department to discuss what support may be needed.

Holiday Accommodation: Greater Manchester

baroness gardner of parkes: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of concerns about the growth in short-term letting in Manchester.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government has not made an assessment of concerns about the growth in short-term letting in Manchester. We believe that it is for local authorities to assess the impact within their area. The Government does however monitor broader trends in private rented housing through the English Housing Survey.

Antisocial Behaviour

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actions they are taking to provide protection, support and advice to UK residents and their families from (1) other EU member states, and (2) othercountries as a precaution against possible antisocial or unlawful behaviour towards them on or after 29 March.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: All forms of hate crime are completely unacceptable including antisocial or unlawful behaviour on the grounds of faith or race, this includes protection to those from other EU member states and other countries. This country has one of the strongest legal frameworks in the world to report, record and prosecute hate crime.In October 2018, the government published a refreshed hate crime action plan setting out the Government’s approach to tackling hate crime, ranging from prevention to victim support. A major national communications campaign was launched in late 2018 to raise awareness about hate crime.There is no room for complacency. As we prepare to leave the European Union, it is entirely responsible and appropriate we continue to work closely with all of our operational partners, including the police, to ensure we are alive to any issues that may arise.

UK Shared Prosperity Fund

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progressthey have made on the design and implementation of their proposed Shared Prosperity Fund.

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to consult on the design and implementation oftheir proposed Shared Prosperity Fund; and whether the consultation will include the option of allocating the fund on the basis of need rather than population.

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the implementation of their proposed Shared Prosperity Fund will require primary legislation.

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they will take to implement their proposed Shared Prosperity Fund in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, when designing and implementing their proposed Shared Prosperity Fund, they intend to (1) match, or (2) exceed the current level of EU Structural Funds allocated to the UK.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The government has made great progress on the development of UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), work is continuing across government on the design, priorities and quantum of the fund and final decisions will be made at Spending Review. The UKSPF will tackle inequalities between communities by raising productivity, especially in those parts of our country whose economies are furthest behind.Over the past year we have held 25 engagement events across the UK with representatives from a breadth of sectors, in order to aid policy development. We intend to publish the public consultation on the UKSPF shortly, which will provide an opportunity for all interested parties to contribute their views.We know that places require certainty of funding after we leave the European Union. The draft Withdrawal Agreement guarantees the UK will continue to take part in the 2014-2020 EU programmes until they end. Whilst the government remains committed to securing a good deal on exiting the European Union, we continue to plan for all scenarios, including a no deal. In a no deal scenario the government has guaranteed the full EU 2014-20 programme.

Local Government: Borrowing

lord hollick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total amount of funding made available to local authorities to acquire commercial properties for investment purposes in each of the financial years since and including 2014–15 in (1) England, (2) Wales, (3) Scotland, and (4) Northern Ireland.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: In England, commercial property investments, like any other asset purchases are categorised as capital expenditure. The decision making process for all capital investment and funding including commercial property investments is devolved to each individual local authority. Central Government sets the framework which local authorities must operate within and it is designed to ensure that the capital expenditure plans of local authorities are affordable, prudent and sustainable.No direct funding is made available to local authorities for commercial asset acquisitions from Central Government. If a local authority chooses to purchase commercial assets they will have to finance it using one of 3 potential sources. These are:1. Capital receipts - Statute states that funds generated through the sale of assets must be used for the purchase of future assets or for the repayment of debt2. Direct revenue transfers - Revenue funds can be used to fund capital expenditure3. Borrowing - If borrowing is used the local authority must ensure that the amount borrowed is affordable by having regard to statutory guidance. This involves ensuring that all debt servicing costs are funded through available revenue resources.Local authorities are not required to disclose how they have financed each capital investment, therefore, it is not possible to identify the mix sources that have been used to fund commercial property investments.As local authority financing is a devolved matter, all questions about commercial property investments by local authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland need to be addressed to the devolved administrations.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Shortages

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of warnings from UK supermarkets that (1) a no-deal Brexit could threaten UK food security, and (2) that there could be empty shelves at supermarkets due to the difficulties of importing fresh food.

lord gardiner of kimble: The UK has a high degree of food security, built on access to a range of sources including strong domestic production and imports from other countries. This will continue to be the case whether we leave the EU with or without a deal.Extensive work to prepare for a ‘no deal’ scenario has been under way for over two years. The Government has well established ways of working with the food industry on food supply chain issues and we are using these to support preparations for leaving the EU. This includes working with Defra’s long established Food Chain Emergency Liaison Group (FCELG), which allows Government and industry to work together to plan for and respond to any food supply disruption. This industry group’s membership is drawn from across the agri-food chain sector and includes other relevant government departments, Devolved Administrations and agencies.Defra will continue to work closely with food industry stakeholders to continue to build shared understanding of the impacts of a ‘no deal’ scenario on food supply and contingency planning measures being taken by industry. Ongoing close collaboration that currently exists between Government and industry is essential to plan for, respond to, and mitigate any potential disruption.

Fly-tipping: Prosecutions

baroness byford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many successful prosecutions there have been for fly-tipping in each of the last ten years; how many of those prosecutions were a result of fly-tipping on privately-owned land; and in each case, what was the fine imposed.

lord gardiner of kimble: Defra collects data on the number of fly-tipping incidents and actions taken which is provided by local authorities in England. These data are published annually and may include some private land incidents that are voluntarily reported (although it is not mandatory to do so). Defra does not hold data relating solely to fly-tipping incidents on private land. The tables below show the data held regarding prosecutions and fines for fly-tipping in the last ten years. Details of fine levels for individual cases are not held. Local authority prosecutions for fly-tipping in England YearSuccessful prosecutionsCustodial sentencesFinesCommunity service2008/091,944161,497602009/102,374341,859452010/112,31172,023352011/122,78642,487392012/132,144181,839162013/141,953101,685192014/151,771211,492352015/162,091181,838322016/171,546281,318262017/182,186251,93845 Level of fines for fly-tipping offences in England resulting from the above prosecutionsYear£0 to £50£51 to £200£201 to £500£501 to £1,000£1,001 to £5,000£5,001 to £20,000£20,001 to £50,000over £50,0002008/09185722407114672002009/10274947452110706002010/111721104454245506002011/124171191565239705002012/131628565472016112002013/141341,028308150623002014/15116804311194588102015/16113817560271725002016/17961,2335641519310102017/18836678761731231600The Environment Agency investigates and prosecutes larger and more serious cases of illegal dumping. Data distinguishing between types of waste crime incidents have been available since 2015. Data for privately-owned land are not shown separately. The table below shows the total successful prosecutions by the Environment Agency for illegal dumping incidents only. Environment Agency prosecutions for illegal dumping in England YearAction DateSentenceTotal Fine201526/03/2015Fined£66006/10/2015Community Service£20006/10/2015Community Service£200201611/03/2016Fined£1,000201709/06/2017Suspended Sentence£50,00009/06/2017Fined£50,00018/09/2017Fined£66003/03/2017Fined£6,00018/09/2017Community Service£019/09/2017Fined£90009/06/2017Fined£20,000201804/10/2018Fined£56224/04/2018Community Order - Curfew£010/04/2018Community Service£016/10/2018Community Service£010/04/2018Community Service£031/05/2018Fined£5,00005/10/2018Community Service£0

Japan: Whales

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Japan about its decision to resume whaling; and whether they intend to impose sanctions on that government if that practice goes ahead.

lord gardiner of kimble: During Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzō Abe’s, visit to the UK on 9 January, the Prime Minister expressed her disappointment at Japan’s decision to leave the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and reiterated our opposition to commercial whaling practices. We are working closely with other likeminded countries to assess the implications of this decision and will be using all appropriate opportunities to urge the government of Japan to rethink its decision.

Animal Welfare: Sentencing

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to introduce legislation to increase the maximum sentence for animal cruelty offences from six months to five years imprisonment before the end of this parliamentary session.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government will introduce the necessary legislation to increase the maximum penalty for animal cruelty from 6 months’ imprisonment to 5 years’ imprisonment, as soon as Parliamentary time allows.

Plants: Research

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to provide open access to the results of plant and seed research.

lord gardiner of kimble: Government-funded plant and seed research is predominantly commissioned by the Research Councils and Defra. Such research is undertaken by a number of organisations, each of which have different routes for publication. Since 2005, Research Councils UK have had open access policies that support and provide guidance about publishing on open platforms. This guidance can be found on the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) website. Independent advice commissioned by the Government has reinforced this guidance. Most recently, a report entitled “Open Access to Research- 2018; Independent Advice” was published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in February 2019. In line with Government policy on transparency, Defra is committed to publishing the reports generated by its research programmes. Final reports from Defra-funded research are quality assured and published on the “Defra Science Search” website.

Home Office

EU Nationals: Immigration

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have stopped the requirement for those applying for settled status to pay £65 for that application; what arrangements they are making to repay those who have already paid that amount during the pilot scheme or subsequently; and whether those applicants will be refunded automatically without a repayment having to be individually requested.

baroness williams of trafford: As the Prime Minister announced on 21 January, there will be no fee for applications under the EU Settlement Scheme when we roll out the scheme in full by 30 March. Anyone who has applied during the pilot phase, or who does so, will have their fee reimbursed. The Home Office will set out further details in due course.

Asylum

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether a refugee who has been granted asylum should be allowed to be the subject of an Interpol Red Notice initiated by the country they are seeking asylum from.

baroness williams of trafford: INTERPOL is a crucial organisation enabling police to police cooperation between 194 member countries.INTERPOL systems enable member countries to issue Red Notices to seek the location and arrest of persons who are wanted with a view to extradition or other lawful action. Such notices must be made strictly in compliance with INTERPOL’s constitution which forbids any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character. The Government considers very seriously any misuse of INTERPOL notices and strongly supports INTERPOL’s efforts to ensure systems are in place that protect individuals’ human rights.It is up to each INTERPOL member country’s legal framework as to what action will be taken in respect of an individual who is subject to an INTERPOL Red Notice, alongside a consideration of other relevant factors such as an asylum claim.Those granted refugee status in the UK are not expected to return to their country of origin in accordance with the UK’s obligations under the Refugee Convention. As a matter of policy, the UK will moreover not disclose the existence or status of any asylum claim to the national authorities of their country of origin

Cabinet Office

Public Procurement Review Service

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 22 January (HL12843), how much in interest and compensation was (1) owed, (2) claimed, and (3) paid to those suppliers who received late payments from public bodies following resolution by the Mystery Shopper Service in 2018.

lord young of cookham: The Public Procurement Service (PPRS) does not keep a record of the interest claimed on late payments. Interest is claimed by a supplier after a case has been resolved, and not reported back to the PPRS team.

Public Procurement Review Service

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Young of Cookham on 22 January (HL12843), how many overdue payment cases were reported to the Mystery Shopper Service in 2018; of those, how many were resolved; and of those resolved, how many resulted in successful claims for interest and compensation payments.

lord young of cookham: In 2018 there were 75 overdue payment cases reported to the Public Procurement Review Service (PPRS). 58 of these have been resolved, 6 of these are still open and 11 cases were either rejected or collapsed.The PPRS team does not keep a record of how many suppliers claimed late interest payments.

Public Procurement Review Service

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance and advice had been provided by the Mystery Shopper Service to small and medium-sized businesses about their statutory entitlement to claim interest and compensation for late payment by public bodies; and what plans they have to provide further guidance and advice via the Public Procurement Review Service.

lord young of cookham: The Late Payment Directive guidance explains who is responsible for claiming interest on overdue payments and how interest is calculated. This is published on gov.uk at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/late-payment-directive-user-guide-to-the-recast-directiveThe Public Procurement Review Service (PPRS) refers suppliers to this guidance where appropriate. The supplier will need to initiate the interest payment process with the Contracting Authority. No other advice is provided by PPRS on this and the service is not involved in providing compensation to suppliers.

Treasury

Electronic Publishing: VAT

lord bird: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to assess the amount of VAT paid on e-publications by (1) ministerial departments, and (2) non-ministerial departments, agencies and other public bodies.

lord bates: HMRC does not hold detailed information on VAT paid on specific products by government departments, public institutions or private entities.The Government keeps all taxes under review, including VAT on e-publications.Any amendments to the VAT regime as it applies to physical publications and e-publications must be carefully assessed against policy, economic and fiscal considerations.

Double Taxation: Israel

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that the UK–Israel tax protocol signed on 17 January does not apply to trade involving illegal settlements.

lord bates: The Protocol amends the 1962 convention to improve the conditions for cross-border trade and investment. These benefits are in the interests of the UK economy.The Protocol does not represent any change to the UK’s historic position towards the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements. The UK’s position on settlements is clear. They are illegal under international law, present an obstacle to peace, and threaten the physical viability of a two-state solution.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Internet: Self-harm

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actions they have taken, prior to the announcement on 27 January that they would consider banning websites promoting self-harm and suicide, to protect young people from harmful online content.

lord ashton of hyde: Government is taking a range of measures to protect children and young people from harmful online content.Through the Digital Economy Act 2017, the government is introducing a requirement for commercial providers of online pornography to have robust age verification controls in place to prevent children and young people under 18 from accessing pornographic material. In addition we have worked with Internet Service Providers to introduce a rigorous and comprehensive system of family-friendly content filtering, through which parents can help protect their children from viewing harmful content over home broadband networks. Through the UK Council for Child Internet Safety we have produced a practical guide for providers of social media and interactive services, in which we set out best practices for preventing children from encountering harmful content.Furthermore, the Data Protection Act 2018 introduced a new requirement for the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to produce a statutory code of practice on age-appropriate design. This code will ensure that websites and applications are designed in a way that makes clear what data is being collected on children, how this data is being used, and how both children and parents can stay in control of this data.Nevertheless there is still more to do, which is why we will shortly be publishing an Online Harms White Paper, which will set out a range of legislative and non-legislative measures detailing how the Government will tackle the full range of online harms and set clear responsibilities for tech companies to keep UK citizens safe.

Literature: Translation Services

the earl of clancarty: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure ongoing equivalent funding for literary translation after the current Creative Europe funding scheme comes to an end in 2020.

lord ashton of hyde: The UK recognises the importance of such funding programmes to the creative and cultural sectors and is committed to continuing cultural collaboration between the UK and EU. Where possible, we will continue to participate in EU programmes where there is mutual benefit to the UK and the EU. Ultimately, this will be determined as part of the future partnership negotiations. We will continue to support the arts through our funding of Arts Council England and through programmes such as the Cultural Development Fund, which show our ongoing dedication to supporting our thriving cultural sector.

The Senior Deputy Speaker

Palace of Westminster: Paintings

lord trefgarne: To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker when the restoration works on the two large Maclise paintings in the Royal Gallery will be completed.

lord laming: The Senior Deputy Speaker has asked me, as Chairman of the Services Committee, to respond on his behalf. The conservation of the wall paintings ‘Trafalgar’ and ‘Waterloo’ will be completed this year. Phase 3 of the programme is currently underway (4-22 Feb inclusive), and subject to permissions, Phase 4 (final phase) will be booked for October 2019 and will complete the conservation treatment. Discussions are ongoing regarding possible future work on adjustments to the lighting of the wall paintings to further improve their presentation.